Headaches in adolescents. Diagnosis and management.

A thorough history, general physical examination, neurologic evaluation, and charting of the temporal pattern of the headache will allow the correct diagnosis to be made under most circumstances. Laboratory testing is tailored to the specific headache syndrome. Psychological factors are important in all forms of adolescent headache and should be evaluated in each and every case. Once the correct diagnosis has been made, a comprehensive approach to the patient's problems, medical and psychological, will usually result in improvement.